You gave Fred the death that made a real difference in the outcome of the battle and made a wonderful point about the Weasleys.  George certainly has a way of expressing his feelings.  The scenes of the battle were vivid.  Voldemort creeping inside of Severus' mind and manipulating his emotions - it was intense and frustrating.  Ultimately, it was the soul connection that was strong enough to break the Imperio.  A wonderfully practical demonstration of the power of that connection.Being afraid with Hermione as she tries to deal with being trapped between Bellatrix and several other forms of doom.Thank you for giving us an outstanding Final Battle.And now, worrying about what is going to come next and who is going to be blamed for what.  Maybe it is a good thing Albus is alive and able to explain a few things.  He'd better use his influence to straighten out this mess or we'll be gathering outside the castle with torches and pitchforks.

Hello my dear! I promise i haven't had anything to drink with alcohol in it since my birthday, and that was just a teeny tiny margarita (pomegranete...and it was tasty)Your chapter's song is The Circle by Blackmore's Night (see? i don't listen to angry german stuff ALL the time!)I"ve been here for a million years Through the joy, through the tears But when I am gone this will go on and the circle starts again I"ve watched the mountains rise from dust Saw the gold return to rust I had cried when the oceans died and the circle starts again I was here when the world began to turn Kissed the sun as it started to burn The whispering at the reckoning said "The circle starts again" The moon was rising from above I caught her eye and thought it was love But she turned her back, the sky went black and the circle starts again I danced through castles made of stone Walked the desert sands alone In the midnight hour you feel the power and the circle starts again Now the question falls to you, my friends No beginning has no end Will we ever learn will the world still turn will the circle starts again Magic goes full circle. So does love, come to think of it ~thinks then grins~ The circle comes round, severus must help Hermione where she had once helped him....~sings with all the power she can with the lightning dancing over the grounds of hogwarts~

OMG!  Reading this chapter has been like riding a magical roller coaster without restraints!  I’m worn slap out!

First we see how clever the Castle is to force Hermione to go where safety was to be found!  Forcing her to go where Winky was waiting for her was brilliant!  Then we were taken to Godric’s Hollow where Severus was still under the Imperius Curse cast by the Dark Lord.

The theme that stood out to me throughout this entire chapter, was one of Severus’ constantly being reminded of something that kept tying him to the truth he had known and understood for nearly all his life, not the “truth” that Voldemort had instilled in his mind during the last few days.  The complete and devastating irony was that if Tom Riddle had made himself available to Severus as a father figure for all those years, perhaps he could have maintained his hold over his son, that Severus would have innately clung to the knowledge that he was truly loved by his father.  But Tom Riddle was too selfish and too absorbed with his own need to exact punishment on a world that he perceived had made his life miserable, and in the end he laid the groundwork for his own destruction.  In the end Voldemort had no power over Severus.  The magic of two souls bound in complete love and dedication to one another is stronger than any spell that can be cast by an outsider – and Voldemort had made himself the ultimate outsider.

In Chapter 5 during their marriage ceremony we see “when Father Gadbury wrapped the stole around their joined hands, silvery magical threads and ribbons joined the weaving, and what hath been joined together let man nor wizard tear asunder….” 

“He took one last look at the Dark wizard beside him and their eyes met.Red eyes burned with sudden understanding and rage because—He was feeling.He was feeling everything , and the Curse was gone and he felt her, he felt her and something was wrong and she was here—his Miss Granger was here and—Severus yanked his wand down, dropping the pulsing red shield, and aimed it at the glowing pool of silver at his feet.Silver.Silver bonds wrapping them as they kissed a kiss that never ended.Silver—the spirit.The fifth element.And he saw the power flare between him and Potter and he shouted."Now, Potter, now!"The air split between them with a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder and the boy with the beautiful green eyes and the lightning bolt on his forehead screamed with fury.The bolt of green that shot from his wand felled the Dark Lord.And the world fell silent in its awe.”  

Mia, you are one of the most detail authors I know.  In my heart of hearts I am a scholar and a researcher, I have a need to tease out the clues that beg to be remembered, to make sense of the disparate threads that are woven together to make whole cloth… and you have created this magnificent tale that has perfectly filled that need.

I can’t imagine where the rest of your story will take me, I only know that at the end of the day Albus Dumbledore answered the challenge that Hermione threw at him in the Room of Requirement prior to the battle.  But in the end, it was Severus and Hermione’s love for one another that defeated the accursed Dark Lord.  The magic of their love was stronger than anything Voldemort could have imagined because, in the end, he did not know love for anything but his own need to conquer and destroy. 

Perhaps when all is said and done, it will be revealed that the Spirit we all seek, no matter the labels we give it – Wizarding, Christian, Islam, Buddhism, Wiccan, I could go on and on – is the essence of love and a willingness to sacrifice.  “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Thank you, my friend, for such a wonderful journey.

Beth

ok. I'm crying now. good chapter! now I wish that you update. ^^

Oh GOD!  **Cries Brokenly**  MOAR, PLZ.This is amazing.  The moment when Severus yanks himself back from Imperio and realizes that it wouldn't be saving Hermione to doom her to a lifetime under the dominion of the Dark was soooooo well done.I really do love this story.

WOW!Breathtaking!Stunning!Bravo!

Ahhhh Cliffe!!!!  But what a wonderful chapter!

**stunned silence**Time for healing?

Help! How am I to survive until you publish the next chapter? Brilliant, heart-stopping suspense, wonderful chapter - yeah!

Wow... too much to comment on. The image of Fred diving out of the sky was horrifying in its beauty.You've got Albus's manner in a death grip and you aren't letting go--despite how we've been led to feel about him, which is awesome. Draco!And this end, this evil, evil cliffhanger. Marvelous work, Mia!!

Wow!  This chapter has induced multiple cases of mental whiplash!  I love Severus' moment of epiphany and I'm terrified for both him and Hermione at the edge of this cliffhanger.  *feeds your muse copious amounts of chocolate for the next installment*

So Sad!!!!!!I hope Hermione is alright!!!!I hope Severus will be okay also. Dumbledore better be feeling alot of remorse!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I normally skim battle scenes, but I went back and reread this one.  I hate to see the end of this amazing story approaching, but I also really want to see where you take it.  Just fabulous.

Oh wow. What an amazing twist. This was a phenomenal chapter.. absolutely phenomenal. I'm so giddy. Thank you Mia for providing us with such an exciting, refreshing story!I love you!

PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE UPDATE SOON!  I must know!

Wonderfully written, and a trully evil cliffie!  Was on the edge of my seat for the whole chapter (rather surprised I didn't fall right off)!   Loved it!  Hope the next comes really soon. 

Oh!!! Finally! I'm wondering if Albus sent them to their chambers at Hogwarts, though I'd imagine it'd be pretty easy for Aurors to find them there. Maybe to Spinner's End.. but that place is not their home. And what's up with Lucius and Draco? I thought Lucius was against Severus?? Maybe old friendships really do last through it all? I don't know, but I can't wait to find out. :)

This was a strong chapter. That is all I have to say. Shattered and hurt, I say, this chapter was strong.

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!Just when things were going well, i understood all that you had wrote, now a CLIFFIE!!!!! this is sooooooo good. i am glad that i stayed up to read it.  can not wait for the next chappie, thanks for writing, Huanita

Oh, MIA!!  Brilliant!!  I couldn't see any way out of this for either of them, yet you had all the elements for her to save him and now for him to save her right there in plain view all along!And WHAT is going on with the Malfoys?!?  Am I reading this wrong, or has Lucius (and with him, Draco) been on their side all along?  (Or at least when it becomes expedient?)And in rewriting canon, thank you for saving as many of the good guys as you could.  So sad that Fred does indeed have to go (no Weasleys!), but it galvanized the rest of the family in a way that nothing else would have.I'll be very interested to hear what Albus has to say for himself--he did at least obey Hermione's demand, though whether that was a conscious move on his part remains to be seen.  At least he seems to be protecting them both for now....Fantastic job!  And now for the real reunion!~applauds~

i just finished reading that O__O it was so fast paced and action packed and just plain blood pumping that i really need to go back and read it cause i think it'll take a another couple rereads for me to appreciate the full impact of this chapter.  But really WOW. That was soo awesome. i think everyone invovled is starting to realize the full impact of their actions. albus included.and as always, i look forward to seeing how things continue :Dside note: i know you post to many places at different times. and i was wondering which site has the most polished off version of this story. for when i go back to reread the story as a whole :)

Great chapter. Exciting action and battle sequences. And heart satisfying as Severus' and Hermione's bond drew them back together. Good writing.

Whoa.  That was quite the roller coaster.  And that is no place to end a chapter Miss Madwyn!  50 pts from Whatever!And have I mentioned lately how glad I am that you're writing this?  Thanks, as always for your generosity.--H

God.I am out of words.What you have created here is beyond words.Thank you for giving them back their hearts---and mine as well.

Excellent battle scene.  I was surprised to find Bellatrix show up -- I thought she was dead in the last chapter after she tried to heal herself.  That was confusing, but I like this ending for her better -- much more satisfying.  While I have great faith that Severus will know how to heal her, I was wondering what it is that Albus saw in Severus when he said"My boy," Albus said, his eyes filled with anguish. "What did I do to you?"  One other note -- I am glad to see the Malfoys being on Severus' side without the pledge.As always I look forward to your next offering.  Keep up the excellent storywriting.  Thanks, JoAnne